Care for Bromeliad Plants

Most bromeliads die in frost.

Bromeliads grow in a wide range of sizes, shapes and colors, and are closely related to pineapples. They have colorful foliage, specialized shapes and branched growing styles, and may or may not produce flowers. As a tropical plant, bromeliads universally require warmth and humidity, and do best in as indoor potted plants in most locations. To grow bromeliads, pick out some decorative pots, choose an appropriate growing foundation, and get started.

Things You'll Need

• 5- to 7-inch pots
• Peat moss/bark/wood chips
• Tray
• Gravel

Instructions

1. Plant bromeliads in 5- to 7-inch clay or plastic pots to give them room to grow to maturity. The pots should have drainage holes to keep the plant's roots from sitting in water at any time.

2. Keep bromeliads in loose, quick-draining non-soil foundations like peat moss, wood chips or pine bark to give them adequate nutrition, drainage and air circulation. The most common reason for failing bromeliads is soggy potting soil foundations and over watering.

3. Place potted bromeliads where they get full light all day and are in temperatures over 50 F year round. Bromeliads can grow in poor lighting, but will exhibit muted foliage. The best temperatures for bromeliads are between 70 and 75 F.

4. Fill a 3-inch-deep tray with pea gravel and water, and keep the bromeliad pots in the tray. As the water evaporates, it will give the plants the humidity they require for growing.

5. Water bromeliads thoroughly once a week. Pour water into the pots until it runs out the drainage hole. Always check with your finger to make sure that the growing foundation is dry before you water again.

6. Fertilize your bromeliads every one to two months during the growing season with an all-purpose, liquid houseplant fertilizer. Apply the fertilizer to the soil, not allowing the solution to rest in the rosette formed by the plant's leaves.

Tips & Warnings

• Plants can be propagated by dividing off shoots from the main plant.

• Force your bromeliad to bloom by placing a healthy, dry plant in a plastic bag with a ripening apple for seven to 10 days. The ethylene gas the fruit produces causes the plant to flower in six to 14 weeks.

• If your plant is in low light, water the plant's soil, rather than letting it settle in the plant's rosette to avoid fungal disease.

References

• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Bromeliads; Robert J. Black and Bijan Dehgan; May 1993
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Guide to Growing Bromeliads; Mary Jane Frogge; February 2008